Monday, June 20, 2011

I'm probably not the first person you think of when discussing adapting high-calorie recipes into lower fat ones. I know I've done a few, but generally I believe one should make something in its full fat glory, or not at all. I hate to break it to you, but shredded, steamed chicken with fat-free yogurt on quinoa chips isn’t really "nachos."

This hollandaise-less smoked salmon eggs Benedict, however, has me on the other side of that argument. As promised, here is a video recipe for the plate you saw in the How to Poach Eggs demo. You'll have to take my word for it when I say that despite the absence of the traditional hollandaise sauce, it was really, really good.

As I explain in the clip, the dill butter spread, and the yolks from the poached eggs combine to form a fine substitute for the world's highest calorie sauce. I think this idea can be adapted to feature any number of compound butters and meat combinations, and I'd love to hear about any such breakfast experiments. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

This is a great recipe that stands on its own; it is totally different from Eggs Benedict!

I saw a similar recipe a few weeks ago on another blog that used gravlax with a garnish of parsley. I asked if they had ever considered dill as the garnish, so I'm asking you if you ever considered gravlax for this recipe? It would tie in well as another variation.

I would not be afraid to top this with Hollandaise, either. Hollandaise is a health food.

No you're not a traitor, you are an adventurer. I agree, those are still eggs Benedict, but a new version of it. It's nice to have the classics, but once in a while, let's reinvent the wheel! Why? Because life would be boring if we didn't!

So thank you Chef for making our taste buds excited! And remember, just like a Hollandaise, trolls can sense fear!

Jim: I love your idea of gravlax. Chef John has done a recipe for gravlax that I've done a couple of times and found wonderful. Bet it would work here. http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/03/smoked-salmon-gravlox-part-1-from.html.

Eggs Benedict, Hollandaise included, is probably my all time favorite breakfast. I have to admit that for a moment there you had me worried and I was ready to string you up by the thumbs, as my father used to say. But you made a great case that all the flavors are still there. So I'll give this a try. Looks delicious!

I had never made poached eggs but I used a technique that I saw on a cooking show. After adding a little vinegar to the water i make a little vortex in the center by stirring it and gently dropping the egg into the center. Keeps the egg together. Used an ice bath and reheated once I had cooked them all.

We used some wild sockeye lox that they had at the farmers market today. Very flavorful. I thought that the lack of sauce really let the other ingredients shine through. I didn't miss the hollandaise one bit.

I've made this about half a dozen times now and have it nearly perfected. This is really an excellent recipe. BUT I will say that I find the America's Test Kitchen method of poaching eggs far superior (sorry, John). Everything about this recipe is extremely easy, but if you mess up the eggs you mess up the whole dish.